Ransomware encrypts or steals data to disrupt operations and extort victims, making backups, access controls, and incident response essential.
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Background for this topic.
Ransomware is malware used to deny access to systems or data, usually by encrypting files and demanding payment for decryption. Many operations also steal sensitive information and threaten to publish it, so an attack can create both an availability crisis and a privacy or disclosure risk. Initial access may involve phishing, stolen credentials, exposed remote services, or exploitation of unpatched vulnerabilities; attackers may then move through the network before deploying the payload.
Defenses should combine vulnerability management, phishing-resistant authentication where practical, endpoint and network monitoring, and backups that are isolated from routine administrator access and regularly tested for recovery. Organizations should also limit privileges and segment critical systems to reduce the blast radius. An incident requires rapid containment, preservation of forensic evidence, restoration from known-good backups, and assessment of notification, legal, and regulatory obligations. Threat intelligence can help identify relevant criminal infrastructure or tactics, but it does not replace sound access control, patching, detection, and recovery practices.
Cable giant says ransomware involved, FBCS keeps schtum Comcast says data on 237,703 of its customers was in fact stolen in a cyberattack on a debt collector it was using, contrary to previous assurances it was given that it was unaffected by that intrusion.…
Cable giant says ransomware involved, FBCS keeps schtum Comcast says data on 237,703 of its customers was in fact stolen in a cyberattack on a debt collector it was using, contrary to previous assurances it was given that it was unaffected by that intrusion.…
Crooks 'like a sysadmin, with a malicious slant' Exclusive An extortionist armed with a new variant of MedusaLocker ransomware has infected more than 100 organizations a month since at least 2022, according to Cisco Talos, which recently discovered a "substantial" Windows credential data dump that sheds light on the criminal and their victims.…
With 14 serious security flaws found, what a gift for spies and crooks Fourteen bugs in DrayTek routers — including one critical remote-code-execution flaw that received a perfect 10 out of 10 CVSS severity rating — could be abused by crooks looking to seize control of the equipment to then steal sensitive data, deploy ransomware, and launch denial-of-service attacks.…
And also: What looks like proof that stolen data was never deleted even after ransom was paid Building on the success of what's known around here as LockBit Leak Week in February, the authorities say they've arrested a further four individuals with ties to the now-scuppered LockBit ransomware empire.…
Ransomware criminals believed to have taken orders from intel services The relationship between infamous cybercrime outfit Evil Corp and the Russian state is thought to be extraordinarily close, so close that intelligence officials allegedly ordered the criminals to carry out cyberattacks on NATO members.…
Aleksandr Ryzhenkov alleged to have extorted around $100M from victims, built 60 LockBit attacks The latest installment of the National Crime Agency's (NCA) series of ransomware revelations from February's LockBit Leak Week emerges today as the agency identifies a man it not only believes is a member of the long-running Evil Corp crime group but also a LockBit affiliate.…
Only level-one trauma unit in 400 miles crippled Ransomware scumbags have caused a vital hospital to turn away ambulances after infecting its computer systems with malware.…
Ransomware? More like 'we don't care' for everyone but CISOs Efficiency and scalability are key benefits of enterprise cloud computing, but they come at a cost. Security threats specific to cloud environments are the leading cause of concern among top executives and they're also the ones organizations are least prepared to address.…
PLUS: UK man charged with hacking US firms for stock secrets; ransomware actor foils self; and more Infosec In Brief Put away that screwdriver and USB charging cable – the latest way to steal a Kia just requires a cellphone and the victim's license plate number.…